Electric switch-actuator.



No. 7|2,a45. Patented Nov. 4, |902.

J. Y. PORTER.

ELECTRIC SWITCH ACTUA-TOR.

lApplicatiou filed Aug. 14, 1901.)

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

l j f WITNESSES INVEN TOR By @JM/w )Wim/w: 4 WZLW/ay Attorneys.

Tu: NoRms PETERS co, PHoY'QLIrHo.. wAsHmoruN. D. c4

No. 7|2,s45. Patented Nov. 4, |902.

.|. Y. Pumas.

ELEGTRIG SWITCH AGTUATOR.

(Application filed Aug. 14, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

INVENTOR WI TNESSES /K .W/M

Attorneys.

THE Nonms Pneus co PHoTuma.. wAsmNGToN. u. c.

UNITE-D Stearns PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH Y. PORTER, OE DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

ELECTRIC SWITCH-ACTUATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Eatent No. 71 2,845, datedNovember 4, 1902.

Application filed August 14, 1901. Serial No. 71,984. (No model.)

T0 af/ZZ whom, tm/ay concern.:

Beitknown thatI, JOSEPH Y.PoRTER,a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, havein- Venteda certain new and useful ImprovementJ in Electric Switch-Actuators; andI declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention,`such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use the sama-reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to switch-actuators for electrically-actuatedrailways, and has for its object an improvement in the means foractuating the shifting tongue of the track.

In the drawings, Figure l shows diagrammatically the arrangement ofcurrent-controllers by means of which the current taken to theswitch-actuator is regulated? Fig. 2 shows the tongue-actuatingapparatus. Fig. 3 is a detail of a part of the tongue-'actuatingapparatus. Fig. el is a detail of the same part shown in a differentposition. l'

The apparatus is one which is intended tc shift the tongue of arailway-switch by a current of electricity that passes through a coilarranged as a solenoid, the core of which reciprocates under theinfluence of the current and is connected to mechanism which alternatelypushes and pulls the linkage which is connected with a tongue 'and whichactuates the tongue. The current which passes th rough the solenoid 18is removed from the main feeder of the trolley system, and that part ofit which actuates the solenoid passes to the ground direct-ly; but thesame current which actuates the solenoid divides from that whichactuates the trolley-car, and that part of it which actuates thetrolley-car passes to the ground through the trolloyand the car in theordinary way, and because it is necessary to provide for the conductionof currents of different power through the different cars that run ormay run on a trolley system it is neces sary to provide some applianceswhich will conduct a quantity of current from'the feeder sufficient toactuate both thecar and switchtongue, and this quantity shall bedetermined by the car itself, and this apparatus for regulating thecurrent taken from the feeder and dividing it to send one part ofapproximately regular power through the switch-actuating mechanism andanother part of variable power through the trolley is contained in themechanism located in the housing A on the post B and which isdiagramrnatically represented in Fig. l.

`rlhe mechanism for shifting the switchtongue will rst be described andafterward the mechanism for controlling the current which actuates it.

O indicates a station, generally a hollow post, which is located nearthe railway-switch and from which there is a connecting-link 2, lthatactuates the switch-tongue. The link 2 is itself actuated by a lever 6,fulcrumed on a pin Il and connected to the link 2 by a pivot 5. Thelever 3 is pivoted at its upper end to a double bell-crank lever 6,secured by a pivot 7 to the main framework or hous-` ing in which theapparatusis contained. On the frame above the bell-crank lever 6 are twosliding hooks 8 and 9, secured by pins 10 and l1 to the main frame ofthe structure. The pins lO pass through slots in the body of the hook 9,and the hook is capable of vertical movement on the pins. The slide 8 issecured by pins 1l, which pass through corresponding slots in the slide8 and hold it to the main frame of the structure. Each hook is connectedby a link to the double bellcrank lever 6. Each link is secured tovboththe lever and its own hook by pivot-pins. The link l2 is secured to thehook 9,and the link 13 is secured to the hook 8. The oppos' ing faces ofthe hooks 8 and 9 are each provided with a bill or point, and thesebills or points are adapted to engage an oscillating catch 14. Theoscillating catch l-lis held by a pivot l5 to a bar 16, held in aguide17, and to the upper end of the bar 16 is attached the core of asolenoid 1S. The oscillating catch 14: has two wings 19 and 20, thepoints of which are spread to such an extent that the bill of neitherhook can pass the wing with- 'out swinging the catch on its pin l5, and,on the contrary, if the catch be pushed below the billv under itengaging with the widened body of the hook it will be swung in theopposite direction. Each hook has a body part that extends towarditscompanion hook to a 'line in which the extreme point or bill of thehook terminates, and this line is parallel to the long axis of theplunger of the solenoidcore. Both the solenoid and the hook reciprocate.Tile actuation is primarilydue, however, to the movement of thesolenoid, which drops when there is no current in the coil to itslowermost position, as indicated in Fig. 4. \Vhen in this position, thecatch 14 is below the bills of both hooks; but the hooks themselves areat different elevations. One

of the hooks-as, for example, the hook 8,

as shown in Fig. 4-is lifted to the position which it has when theswitch-point is over the one side of its` throw. In this position thehook 8 is so fax-lifted with respect to the catch that the wide bodypart of it has engaged against the point of the wing 20 and thrown thecatch over with the point of the wing 19 in position to engage with abill of the hook 9. When now the current isturned through the solenoid,the core is lifted to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 andin raising the point of the wing 19 engages under the bill of the hookil, and the hook 9 is drawn upward, rocking the lever t' on its pin andshifting the switch-point. As soon as the electric current is turned olfthe solenoid-coreffalls, and the point of the wing 19 engaging againstthe body part of the hook 9 causes the catch 14 to swing on its pivot tobring the point of the wing 20 in position to engage the bill of thehook 8, when the solenoid-core is again lifted, and the complete liftingof the solenoid-core throws the switch-point tothe opposite position. Asubsequent dropping followed by a lifting of the core again actuates theswitch-point, and with each repetition of the dropping and lifting ofthe solenoid-core the switch-point is actuated, and it is thrownalternately from one position to another.

In ol'der that the current which actuates the solenoid maybe of properpower irrespective of the amount that is drawn from the feed-wire, thereis placed in the line which feeds the solenoid 18a controller. This mayconsist of two or more coils placed in the line, and the result produceddepends somewhat on the winding of the coils and on the selection ofproper and suitably-wound coils for the desired purpose.

The current which passes through the solenoid 1S isderived from the mainfeederorsource of supply of electric current. This current divides atthe point marked 42, one part passing through the solenoids 30, 32, and34 in series, thence over conductor 5l totheinsulated portion of thetrollcywvire, (designated in the drawings between insulators 52 and 53,)thence through the trolley to controller and motors. The action of thiscurrent passing through the solenoids 32 and 34 operates a system oflevers to control switch 44 and 45. This switch completes a circuitbetween the feeder and solenoid 18, so that the current divides at point42, part of this current passing through solenoid 30, 32, and 34, whilea relatively uniform quantity passing through the switch 44 and 45, andthus through solenoid 18 to the return-conductor. The variable partpassing through the solenoids is occasioned by the variable quantity ofcurrent required to furnish the necessary power to the cars of differenttypes and speeds which may take variable amounts of power to operatethem. When this Variable current is small in quantity, the solenoid 32does not leave the core of its solenoid to close the electricswitchpoints 44 and 45, for the reason that the solenoid 32 issoconstructed that the ampere-turns are less with a give current thanthe ampereturns in solenoid 34. The result of this is that for smallcurrents solenoid 34 closes the electric switch-points 44 and 45 bymeans of the intervening link mechanism. Thisisdue to the fact that whenthe current first flows through these three solenoids the same amount ofcurrent measured in amperes flows through each of the solenoids, and thesolenoid 34, having more turns than solenoid 32, the ampere-turns willtherefore be greater, and hence the lifting power will be greater.Should the amperes flowing through the solenoids 30, 32, and 34 increasetoward the maximum safe-carrying capacity of solenoid 34, the core ofsolenoid 32 will be lifted, throwing into action the links controlled bythis solenoid and operating or holding closed the electric switch-points44 and 45, at the same time short-circuiting or shunting solenoid 34 byconnecting. points 56 and 57, which are connected together electricallyby the upper end of the plunger or core of solenoid 32 making contactbetween these points 56 and 57. The action of solenoids 34 and 32 asdescribed completes and maintains the electrical circuit throughsolenoid 18 and operates the railswitch. The purpose forA which thecircuit was closed by means of the electrical switchpoints 44 and 45 hasnow been accomplished, and if the current is entirely shut 0E theplungers or cores of solenoids 32 and 34 drop to their originalpositions, opening the electric switch-points 44 and 45, thus shuttingolf the current from solenoid 18. Now should the current required tooperate the car approach the maximum safe-carrying capacity of solenoid32, the solenoids 34 and 32 having accomplished their purpose, thisexcessive current will operate the plunger or core of solenoid 30,leaving it so that the upper end makes an electrical contact betweenpoints 49 and 50, short-circuiting or shunting solenoids 32 and 34, thuspreventing an excessive current from flowing through solenoids 32 and34, they having already performed their service before the currentreached an excessive amount. With the core of solenoid 30 lifted the carmay take the maximum amount of current required to operate same Withoutdamage to the other solenoids. The amount of current taken from the wireis regulated on the trolley-car in the ordinary Way, the car takingunder the appliances Iwith which it is equipped the proper amount ofcurrent IIO to actuate it and the solenoid 1S taking the amount ofcurrent in addition thereto proper to actuate it.

The general principle of action ofthe means employed for controlling theHow of the electric current may be embodied in any one of severaldifferent electrically-actuated devices or motors, the essential featurebeing that there shall be several of the motors in series and that theelectrical current shall flow normally through all the series so long asthe strength of the current is not suiiicieut to injure or destroy thatone of the series which is Wound for or prepared to come into actionwith the current of least power that will be used and so arranged thatthey shall be successively cut out of use as the current increases inpower. Of course in actual use the motor actuated by the low power wouldbe properly cut out some time before the current. rose to so high apower as to actually endanger it.

Vhat I claim isl. In an apparatus for the purpose described, thecombination of a line-Wire, an insulated section thereof, aconnecting-wire between said section and the line-wire,anelectrically-actuated mechanism for operating the track-switch, anelectrical switch for making and breaking the circuit' through the trackswitch actuating mechanism, and means for actuating said electricalswitch located in said connecting-wire and adapted to be actuated byeither the maximum or minimum current used by a car.

2. The combination of a rod arranged to be reciprocated, a pawl uponsaid rod adapted to protrude beyond the side of said rod upon one sideor the other, two pieces adapted to reciprocate in paths parallel tosaid rod and upon opposite sides thereof, each of said pieces beingprovided with a hook arranged to be engaged by said pawl, and with a lugadapted to contact said pawl to cause it to protrude from the oppositeside of said rod.

3. In an apparatus for the purpose described, a hollow standardextending above the ground, a solenoid located in said standard with itsaxis vertical, a core for said solenoid adapted to fall by its ownWeight, and to be raised by the action of the current in the solenoid, apawl upon' said core adapted to protrude from one side or the otherthereof, two pieces adapted to reciprocate in paths parallel to said rodand upon opposite sides thereof, each of said pieces being provided witha hook arranged to be engaged by said pawl, and with a lng adapted tocontact said pawl to cause it to protrude from the opposite side of saidcore, a double bell-crank lever having opposite arms connected to saidpieces, and links connecting said bell-crank lever with the movable partof the switch.

4. In an apparatus for the purpose described, the combination of aline-wire, an insulated section thereof, a con meeting-wire between saidsection and the line-wire, an electrically-actuated mechanism foroperating the track-switch, an electrical switch for connecting theline-wire with the return through the track-switch-operating mechanismand a plurality of electromagnets adapted to actuate said electricalswitch, the coils of said electro magnets being interposed in saidconnecting wire, said electromagnets being adapted to be operated bydifferent currents, and means for cutting out the more easily operatedmagnets as the current increases.

5. In an apparatus for the purpose described, the combination of aline-wire, an insulated section thereof, a connecting-wire between saidsection and the'line-wire, an electrically-actuated mechanism in or onsaid connecting wire for operating the trackswitch, an electrical switchfor connecting the line- Wire with the return through thetrack-switch-operating mechanism,and a plurality of electromagnetsadapted to actuate said electrical switch, the coils of saidelectromagnets being interposed in said connectingwire, saidelectromagnets being wound with the different-sized wires to adapt themto be operated by different currents, and means for cutting out themagnets having the liner wire as the current increases.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOSEPH Y. PORTER.

Witnesses:

C. F. BURTON,

ELLIOTT J. STODDARD.

